Kevin Perry Goes Large

And after that pun on a crappy British comedy film from 15 years ago, here is the announcement it relates to…

Steve Molk and Kevin Perry join forces to launch DeciderTV

September 21, 2015

News – Kevin Perry

From today, Kevin Perry (Nelbie.com) & Steve Molk (MolksTVTalk.com) have joined forces to deliver a brand new media commentary presence focusing on the Australian TV landscape.

From free-to-air to subscription to SVOD, Australians have never had more choices when they turn on their TVs. Or tablets. Or phones.

Kevin & Steve have combined to bring years of media experience to DeciderTV that will present all the available information for audiences to be able to make easy decisions about what they watch (& when they watch it).

Together with a very talented team DeciderTV offers news, opinion, interviews, reviews, recaps, ratings, a TV guide, podcasts and more that will engage readers at all levels – from those with a passing interest in TV to passionate fans.

With the launch of the new site, Nebie.com & MolksTVTalk.com will cease publishing new content. Both Steve and Kevin would like to thank everyone that has supported our previous sites and we hope you will love joining us on this new publishing adventure.

Interesting.

As the newspaper TV supplements vanish (i.e. The Age’s legendary Green Guide is now around six pages plus listings), and with only TV Tonight posing any kind of online threat, DeciderTV is setting itself up as the alternative. They’ll talk about free-to-air, subscription, new-fangled TV delivered on devices, catch-up – you name it. Plus there’ll be interviews, podcasts, reviews and opinions. Sounds great doesn’t it? Let’s take a look at their first day…

Its Back! Offspring confirmed as returning to Ten in 2016

September 20, 2015

News: Kerry Perry

Kat Stewart and Asher Keddie return for a new season of Offspring on Ten.

After a year of waiting the Ten Network has given Offspring fans the news they were desperately waiting to hear with confirmation the show will return for a sixth season in 2016.

Exciting times for Offspring fans, but why’s it coming back?

The resurrection of Offspring comes at a time when Ten has little other drama in production. Wonderland was a massive flop that has since been axed while the Melbourne based political drama Party Tricks, which also feature Asher Keddie failed to engage viewers.

The sixth season of Offspring will be a more costly program for Ten to produce. Australian Tax Rules allow for a 30% rebate for TV Drama programs, however this ends after 65 episodes have been produced. Offspring hit that limit at the end of season 5.

So, it’s coming back because Ten’s fucked it drama-wise. We wonder if DeciderTV has any opinions on this?

The Return of Offspring – Just because you can doesn’t mean you should

September 21, 2015

Opinion – Steve Molk

Yesterday Network Ten made a lot of noise about the return of their dramedy hit OFFSPRING for season six in 2016.

As well they should.

Offspring remains the high watermark for the Network that hasn’t seen anything come close since the neatly-wrapped series finale in August 2014. Not one of their subsequent Aussie drama products (PARTY TRICKS, WONDERLAND) have delivered the ratings success or audience engagement of stories of the Proudman family.

Resurrecting Offspring will only end in one of two ways – it’ll be really great and the audience will lap it up, or it’ll just do OK and be seen as mediocre. Either way there will be guaranteed tears.

This isn’t a comment on the crew, cast, scriptwriters or anyone associated with Offspring. The production itself will be made well and with love, in the usual hope that the audience will embrace these adored characters and settle right back in with them.

But haven’t we all moved on?

Plenty of opinions in there, but a lot of them quite contradictory. Mainly the bit about criticising Ten for failing to make programs other than Offspring, then predicting the new series of Offspring will be crap, whilst making it clear you’re not commenting on “anyone associated with Offspring”.

Still, one vague opinion does shine through: Australian television makers can do no wrong, and the only judge of quality will be the ratings. “The production will be well made”, you say? Isn’t it possible that after five seasons there’s nothing left to say about the characters? And that after a full year off (and perhaps a reduced budget now the tax concession has gone) maybe the production side of things could be rocky too? But that would be a critical – as in displaying critical thinking – opinion, and this site doesn’t seem to be the place for that.

After all, having a clear opinion and being able to express it isn’t what’s made Steve Molk what he is today. The kicker for us was his first TV Guide for DeciderTV:

TV Guide for week commencing 20/09/15

September 20, 2015

TV Guide – Steve Molk

2015 week 39;

31st week of 2015 ratings year.

All times AEST unless noted otherwise.

Key:

   #MustWatch (bold & italics)

   #MolkPicks (bold)

Everything else worth a look without guarantee/endorsement.

STUFF TO WATCH

Sunday

Compass: For Better or Worse (E01 of 5) – 6:30pm ABC

Scorpion (S01E13 of 22) – 6:30pm Ten

The X Factor Australia (S06E06) – 7pm Seven

The Block (S11E09) – 7pm Nine

Open Slather (E13 of 20) – 7:30pm Comedy

   Doctor Who (S09 premiere – E01 of 12) – 7:40pm ABC

Vera (S04 premiere – E01 of 4) – 8:30pm ABC

Sunday Sessions: Michael Hutchence: The Loved One – 8:30pm ABC2

60 Minutes (S41E34) – 8:30pm Nine

Jamie Oliver’s Sugar Rush – 8:30pm ABC

   Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (part 2/finale) – 8:40pm Seven

House of Lies (S03E11 of 12) – 10:15pm Eleven

Who knew there were so many good shows on Australian TV on just one evening. Presumably there’ll be less worth watching on Monday…

Monday

Cats Uncovered (E01 of 3) – 7:30pm SBS

The X Factor Australia (S06E07) – 7:30pm Seven

The Block (S11E10) – 7:30pm Nine

   Show Me A Hero (E06 of 6) – 7:30pm showcase

   Australian Story: The Making of Malcolm – 8pm ABC

   Four Corners: Dethroning Tony Abbott – 8:30pm ABC

   Humans (S01 finale) – 8:30pm ABC2

The Wonder of Dogs (E01 of 3) – 8:30pm SBS

Ramsay’s Hotel Hell (S02 finale) – 8:30pm Seven

Have You Been Paying Attention? (S03E20 of 30) – 8:30pm Ten

   Ray Donovan (S03E11 of 12) – 8:30pm showcase

House Husbands (S04E07 of 10) – 8:45pm Nine

What Really Happens In Thailand (E02 of 6) – 9:10pm Seven

   Media Watch – 9:20pm ABC

The Island with Bear Grylls: Reunion (S01E02 of 6) – 9:30pm SBS

Episodes (S04E03 of 9) – 9:30pm BBC First

   Q&A Live in Ballarat: Bill Shorten – 9:35pm ABC

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!! There are almost 100 shows listed for this week. How are we supposed to find time for all this? Even getting through the #MolkPicks would be a challenge. And isn’t the point of a critic-curated TV Guide that the critic only suggests a manageable number of must watch shows per evening (i.e. two or three)?

Don’t get us wrong, we think there’s room for an alternative to TV Tonight and what remains of the TV commentators in the traditional media, but if it’s DeciderTV then DeciderTV needs a bit of work. Online’s a place where you can have opinions and survive. But if you’re setting yourself up as an opinion forming website, and none of your opinions are usable, then what’s the point?